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The Potential of Predatory Spiders As Biological Control Agents of Cotton

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The Potential of Predatory Spiders As Biological Control Agents of Cotton Asian J. Exp. Sci., Vol. 22, No. 3, 2008; 303-306 The Potential of Predatory Spiders as Biological Control Agents of Cotton Pests in Tehran Provinces of Iran Sahra Ghavami Plant Pests & Diseases Research Institute, Agriculture Zoology Research Department, Araneology Research Laboratory, Tehran - IRAN Abstract : Spiders have a wide insect host range and thus can act as biological control agents of insect pests in agro-ecosystems. In the present study, spider fauna in the major Iranian cotton fields are being explored which are capable of controlling cotton pests. These were determined during the 2003-2004 cropping season. Effects of the spider on major cotton insect pests were studied under laboratory conditions (28±2 Cº, 65±5% RH and photoperiod of 12:12(L: D) hours). Five spider species (Thanatus formicinus (Clerck), Oxyopes salticus (Hentx), Cheiracanthium erraticum (Walckenaer), Philodromus cespitum (Walckenaer), Thyene imperialis (Rossi) were evaluated on four cotton pests (Bemisia tabaci, Aphis gossypii, Empoasca decipiens and Nezara viridula) and daily rate of feeding and host preference were recorded for sixty days. Results indicate the maximum predation in T. imperalis on key cotton pests in Tehran. Key words : Spiders, Feeding, Host preference, Cotton, Predation, Tehran, Iran. Introduction However in many countries not very many Spiders are feed on insects and some studies have been carried out on this subject. other arthropods. They can play important Such as, predation effects of Cheiracanthium roles in pest's control. 35000 species of spiders inclusum on the egg protein of Helicoverpa have been identified in the world and a total zea was studied in cotton fields of Georgia, of 244 species of spiders are known in Iran USA, during the 1996 growing season. A (Ghavami, 2006a, 2007b). Most of modified ELISA was used to assay the investigations on spiders are in agricultural predators. The winter spiders (C. inclusum) ecosystems in Iran. For instance, some assayed, yielded the majority of positive researches were performed on spider fauna responses (Ruberson et al. 1998). Predation and abundance of rice fields (Ghavami, 2004), of Peucetia viridans (Hentz), C. inclusum olive orchards (Ghavami, 2006d and Ghavami (Hentz), Aysha gracilis (Hentz) and et al., 2007d), Rose fields (Ghavami and Neoscona arabesca (Walck.), Misumenops Nematollahi, 2006c) citrus orchards (Ghavami, sp., Tetragnatha laboriosa Hentz and 2006 a, b) Ghavami and Ghanadamooz, 2008b Hentzia palmarum (Hentz) on eggs and 1st- and cotton fields (Ghavami, et al. 2007c and instar larvae of Alabama argillacea (Hb.) 2008a and Ghavami, 2007a). examined with labeled eggs and 1st-instar larvae with 32P in a cotton field in eastern To date, study about spider fauna, Texas in 1982 have been studied. Misumenops abundance, and quantity of feeding, host sp., T. laboriosa, A. gracilis, P. viridans, preference and their role in pest control in and C. inclusum showed evidence of cotton fields in Iran is scare. Especially study predation on the eggs and P. viridans, C. on the host preference of spiders is inclusum; A. gracilis and N. arabesca were accomplished for the first time in Iran. predators of the 1st-instar larvae. The means * Corresponding author : Sahra Ghavami, Plant Pests & Diseases Research Institute, Agriculture Zoology Research Department, Araneology Research Laboratory, Tehran - IRAN; E-mail : [email protected] 303 Ghavami S. (2008) Asian J. Exp. Sci., 22(3), 303-306 for egg and small-larval predation after 48 h 1981). O. salticus (Hentx, 1802) was of exposure were 88.7 and 88.4%, dominant species in Texas cotton fields (Dean respectively (Gravena & Cunha, 1991). A et al., 1982). C. erraticum (Walckenaer, survey of the C. mildei L. Koch and 1802) and C. pennyi (Cambridge, 1873) had Achaearanea lunata (Cl.) (Theridion high population in German cotton fields. They lunatum) preying on Corythucha ciliata usually see together in cotton fields (Wolf, (Say), was carried out in Yugoslavia cotton 1990). O. salticus was the dominant spider fields in 1982-83. C. mildei and A.lunata fed species in Massachusetts cotton fields. It was voraciously on the pest for 42-70 days. During 58% of collected spiders (Bradwell and this period, a single spider consumed 217-564 Averill, 1997). bugs at an average rate of 3.1-9.3/day. The The aims of the present study were the average feeding rate of C. mildei was 8.2 investigation on quantity of feeding and host specimens/day and that of A. lunata 3.1/day preference of five spider species in order to (Balarin & Polenec, 1984). A range of pest determine role of spiders on pest control in species taken as prey by 4 species of spiders cotton fields located in Tehran province in 2004. on cotton in south-eastern Queensland was established from observations in the field. A Material and Methods direct numerical relationship was established Adults of T. formicinus, O. Salticus, C. between the spiders C. mordax L. Koch erraticum, P. cespitum, T. imperalis were (diversum L. Koch) and Oxyopes mundulus reared under laboratory conditions to evaluate L. Koch and larvae of Heliothis spp., and their host preference in laboratory conditions these were expressed as exponential (28±2ºC, 65±5% RH and photoperiod of 12:12 functions. No direct relationship with prey and (L: D) hours). The study was conducted in the habitat was found for the spiders summer and autumn of 2004 for 60 days in 10 Achaearanea veruculata (Urquhart) or replicates. In order to performance of Araneus theisi (Walck). The importance of determination number of feeding tests, each spiders in preventing crop loss was considered spiders species put on a cotton bush that by relating the abundance of spiders feeding cultivated in the vase and enclosed by clear on Heliothis spp. to fruit damage levels in isinglass's. The four cotton pests (Bemisia unsprayed cotton. Damage thresholds were tabaci, Aphis gossypii, Empoasca decipiens frequently exceeded despite predation, and it and Nezara viridula) were collected weekly was concluded that the predacious role of from cotton fields. They were then reared on spiders would have to be supplemented to cotton balls inside cages. A total of 10 of each ensure economic yields (Bishop and Blood, of the four cotton pests was put inside cages 1981). In cotton field in south-eastern at the ratio of 10 cotton pest to 1 spider. This Queensland, the spider species C. mordax L. was done daily and the rate of predation was Koch (diversum L. Koch), Archaearanea taken every 24 hours to assess host preference; veruculata (Urquhart) and Lycosa sp. were the four different cotton pests were put in cages equally distributed in the outer, middle and with each spider species and counted number inner portions. However, A. veruculata was of pests that have fed by each spider species more abundant in the western side of the field daily and calculated mean of them (Balarin and late in the season, apparently in response to Polenec, 1984; Sebastian et al., 2002). a more favorable habitat. In sampling, the variance was greater than the mean and over Results and Discussion dispersion was apparent (Bishop, 1981). Philodromus cespitum (Walckenaer, 1802) is In the present study the roles of the one the most important predators of cotton seven spider species on major cotton insect pests in Chinese cotton fields (Liu and Niu, pests were studied in the laboratory conditions 304 The Potential of Predatory Spiders as Biological Control Agents of Cotton Pests in Tehran Provinces of Iran (28±2 Cº, 65±5% RH and photoperiod of predation occurred by T. imperialis and the 12:12(L:D) hours).The following spider less accomplished by P. cespitum. , species, Thanatus formicinus Oxyopes According to comparison of outcomes of salticus, Cheiracanthium erraticum, feeding and host preference of C. pennyi and Philodromus cespitum and Thyene C. erraticum on B. tabaci, A. gossypii and imperialis were studied on the cotton key E. decipiens it was found that that C. pests (Bemisia tabaci, Aphis gossypii, erraticum had more ability in predation than Empoasca decipiens and Nezara viridula) of C. pennyi. in Tehran. Daily rate of feeding and host preference of them were determined and Therefore, we can conclude that these recorded for sixty days in 2004. spider species had the most tendency to A. gossypii and E. decipiens and the fewer Assigning of host preference of spiders propensities to N. viridula and B. tabaci. was accomplished for the first time in Iran in Balarin and Polenec (1984) estimated quantity this study, to the best of author’s knowledge of feeding of C. mildei on cotton bugs. The have been depicted in Tables 1 and 2. average of feeding of C. mildei was 8.2 bugs According to the results, when had given but in this study, the average of feeding of C. one kind of pests to each spider species, the erraticum was 7.24. In other probes, O. maximum predation of them belonged to E. salticus was dominant species in Texas and decipiens and the less of predation related to Massachusetts cotton fields (Bradwell and A. gossypii and when had given 4 kinds of Averill, 1997; Dean et al., 1982). In cotton pests together to them the most predation fields in the south-eastern of Queensland, the were belonged to E. decipiens and the less spider species C. mordax L. Koch had were related to N. viridula. As per, the most equally distributed in the outer, middle and Table 1 : Average of feeding of five dominant spider species on 4 key cotton pests (separately) in laboratory condition in Tehran Spider species Empoasca Nezara Bemisia Aphis decipiens viridula tabaci gossypii Thanatus formicinu s 8.226.577.186.55 Oxyopes salticus 9.46 5.23 10.28 5.17 Cheiracanthium erraticum 6.52 8.14 4.33 8.2 Thyene imperialis 13.55 10.1 7.34 7.26 Philodromus cespitum 7.32 7.9 9.1 5.94 Table 2 : Mean of feeding of five dominant spider species on 4 key cotton pests (together) in laboratory condition in Tehran Spider species Empoasca Nezara Bemisia Aphis decipiens viridula tabaci gossypii Thanatus formicinu s 5.97 1.1 1.93 2.33 Oxyopes salticus 6.8 0.75 3.55 2 Cheiracanthium erraticum 2.59 2.17 0.5 3.5 Thyene imperialis 7.11 4.45 2.55 2.98 Philodromus cespitum 3.92 1.95 3 2 305 Ghavami S.
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